Systems Engineering

The interdisciplinary approach and means necessary to establish successful “systems¹ ... The art of designing and optimizing systems² ...

The term “interdisciplinary approach”, used in the INCOSE definition of Systems Engineering, expresses that system products can only be produced by interdisciplinary teams and that the products of single disciplines or professions attempted to substitute system engineers will not be satisfactory.

A "system" is the collection of interdependent parts that work together in harmony for a specific purpose.

As can be seen, a system is not only a collection of interdependent parts but also a collection of parts that are able to collaborate, to work together in harmony. Thus, one of the criteria that defines a successful system is the level of this collaboration.

SE has various application areas in life. However, one of these bears more significance than the others in today’s Turkey: enhancing competitive powers of institutions and societies; that is, ensuring that they produce better and cheaper.

A “system” has two indispensables: (1) interdependency of parts; (2) the ability of parts to work together.

Generally, problems of competitive power arise from not meeting one and/or both of these requirements. Institutions, in general, are inclined to solve such problems in a piecemeal, palliative and reactive way. Unfortunately, this will let alone solving, deepen the problems. Approaches other than SE will deal with systems only in this – piecemeal – way.

If instead problems could be dealt in a holistic, fundamental and pro-active way, systems would be able to produce better and cheaper products, with higher competitive power.

A familiar example:

"A company cannot profit enough to survive, to grow; its costs increase and it loses away its market to its rivals.

The company’s advisor firm has analyzed the cost factors and has suggested measures to reduce them. As a consequence, the company has disemployed some of its staff, has diminished unnecessary expenses. However, no significant economy could be realized; moreover, production was cut down.

The existing personnel started overworking; they worked harder but earned less and the company faced more loss every passing day. This is a vicious circle and if nothing is changed, the unavoidable destiny will be bankruptcy. The company looks for a long term interest source (credit, loan, etc.) as the only way out.”

This scenario represents a case which many companies face and very few can solve. The company in the scenario is virtual but real in every aspect.

No doubt, SE is not a magic wand but in such a case "the best thing that can be done" can only be done by SE.

What shall we do if you call us?

• First, we establish a “team” which includes a member who knows your company’s business thoroughly. The team also comprises experts on important processes of your business.
• The team quickly plans an organigraph, a process map which will reveal the flows and bottlenecks of your business.
  
  Most probably, you know these bottlenecks too, but the map serves two important purposes: the team members recognize the firm fully and the processes you have gone through up to that time are clearly observed.
  
  At this stage, the key performance indicators (KPI) expected of these processes are identified and the success of the processes and the potential bottlenecks are assessed.
• The team, firstly, assesses the firm’s position and chance in the market it does business. If this chance is deemed as satisfactory, the next step is taken.
• The real contribution of SE starts at this point, as follows. Your business is made of a series of interrelated parts, which we call subsystems.
  
  Generally, these subsystems are organized in units, such as departments, directorates, etc. While the subsystems are in close collaboration when they are newly established, in time, they become independent of each other to prioritize their own targets, as if they are separate firms.[3]
  
  Thus, we end up with firms within firms that appear as if they are interdependent, that claim to be in close collaboration with each other but behave just the opposite.
  
  In reality, works that should be an integral whole become fragmented due to this fragmentation tradition. The decline of an establishment starts with this phenomenon: compartmentalization. Process fragmentation is a kind of inner fracturing which cannot be observed when viewed externally. (See “Traditional Approach – Fragmentation of Processes by Units”)
  
  Staff who rush to and fro but expensive and low quality production!
  
  The team determines this fragmentation by SE and draws a work plan that will re-unify the works into a “whole”. To this end, the team queries the mission and the vision of the firm repeatedly. (See “Systems Engineering – System Approach through Process Teams”).
  
  The essence of the approaches in management consultancy such as – using their trendy terms – re-engineering, process focused approach, etc. is Systems Engineering.
• As a result of this action, the firm’s works are rationalized to highest possible degree. The rationality is necessary for the firm to profit but there may be other prerequisites. If the firm cannot still reach a profiting status due to external factors, international un-competitive effects (such as quotas), alternative solutions are developed and suggested.